SBS Reinstall Problems

SBS Reinstall Problems

I have a new client who had his SBS 2003 R1 server go down due to a bad hard drive. His Network is comprised of 1 Server, 5 XP Workstations. His previous IT either did not document his system or took it with him when he disappeared. Also there are no backups.

He initially brought me his server to repair, because it wouldn't boot. After verifying that the hard drive was bad, I reinstalled SBS based on info I gathered from the client. By doing this I didn?t account for 2 things.

One was I didn't take into account the 5 workstations already in place as well as the current users for those workstations, things like profiles, applications, printers, etc. When I tried to add the computers to the network (http://ServerName/ConnectComputer) it didn?t work.

I'm trying to add these workstations and users to the new server without the users having issues. My question is, is there a way that I can pull information from the workstations to figure out how to properly the server. DNS, Computer name.. etc. So that they can rejoin the network as though the server never left?

Secondly I built the server at home using a private address in the 192 range. His workstations were of course in a different range (10.36...) I think I made more problems for myself while trying to change the server DCHP and scope range on the server.

Also, I noticed that the Server has 2 nics (1 onboard and pci). The PCI nic is listed as the Local Server. Does it matter which nic is used? The PCI nic is listed as "Local Server". His setup is as follows. Cable Modem, Linksys standard router, switch, Server.

Re: SBS Reinstall Problems

Reggie:

SBS setup is a tightly integrated installation requireing all the pices be
in place before it is put into production, including Exchange and so on.
You did not say if this is standard or premium, if it includes SBS SP1,
(a five part installation, the Server equivilent to XP SP2) or not. All
of that is critical.

Now in answer to your main questions:

The loss of the SBS and the subsequent installation created a new domain.
The workstations will have to be disjoined from the old domain and reverted
to a workgroup before you can join them to a the new one. User profiles
- desktop, favorites, my documents folders can be copied out before or after,
but for safety, make a copy before you disjoin.

All the workstations should be getting their IP info from the SBS DHCP server.
If the server has two nics, the second nic "probably" was and now should
be in the same IP range as the edge device/router/firewall. In that case
the data flow is:

I normally use 192.168.16.2 for the "internal" or LAN nic and 192.168.61.2
for the "external" or WAN nic for ease of memory. The edge device then
can be 192.168.61.1 or .254.

With the setup you list, it is unlikely that the above was in use. More
likely that the second nic was unused and the first NIC and all the workstations
were attached to the switch, which is OK, but with that Linksys home router
on the edge, I would prefer to see a two nic setup or a real firewall on
the edge.

> I have a new client who had his SBS 2003 R1 server go down due to a
> bad hard drive. His Network is comprised of 1 Server, 5 XP
> Workstations. His previous IT either did not document his system or
> took it with him when he disappeared. Also there are no backups.
>
> He initially brought me his server to repair, because it wouldn't
> boot. After verifying that the hard drive was bad, I reinstalled SBS
> based on info I gathered from the client. By doing this I didn?t
> account for 2 things.
>
> One was I didn't take into account the 5 workstations already in place
> as well as the current users for those workstations, things like
> profiles, applications, printers, etc. When I tried to add the
> computers to the network (http://ServerName/ConnectComputer) it didn?t
> work.
>
> I'm trying to add these workstations and users to the new server
> without the users having issues. My question is, is there a way that
> I can pull information from the workstations to figure out how to
> properly the server. DNS, Computer name.. etc. So that they can
> rejoin the network as though the server never left?
>
> Secondly I built the server at home using a private address in the 192
> range. His workstations were of course in a different range
> (10.36...) I think I made more problems for myself while trying to
> change the server DCHP and scope range on the server.
>
> Also, I noticed that the Server has 2 nics (1 onboard and pci). The
> PCI nic is listed as the Local Server. Does it matter which nic is
> used? The PCI nic is listed as "Local Server". His setup is as
> follows. Cable Modem, Linksys standard router, switch, Server.
>
> Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Submitted via EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice
>
> Silverlight, WCF, Security And Things You Might Not Know
>
> http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials...7-4d49-a882-f6
> ac833492d5/silverlight-wcf-securit.aspx
>

Please disregard I will repost in a better format

I will repost in a easier to read format.

Reggie Nolan wrote:

SBS Reinstall Problems
11-Jan-10

I have a new client who had his SBS 2003 R1 server go down due to a bad hard drive. His Network is comprised of 1 Server, 5 XP Workstations. His previous IT either did not document his system or took it with him when he disappeared. Also there are no backups.

He initially brought me his server to repair, because it wouldn't boot. After verifying that the hard drive was bad, I reinstalled SBS based on info I gathered from the client. By doing this I didn?t account for 2 things.

One was I didn't take into account the 5 workstations already in place as well as the current users for those workstations, things like profiles, applications, printers, etc. When I tried to add the computers to the network (http://ServerName/ConnectComputer) it didn?t work.

I'm trying to add these workstations and users to the new server without the users having issues. My question is, is there a way that I can pull information from the workstations to figure out how to properly the server. DNS, Computer name.. etc. So that they can rejoin the network as though the server never left?

Secondly I built the server at home using a private address in the 192 range. His workstations were of course in a different range (10.36...) I think I made more problems for myself while trying to change the server DCHP and scope range on the server.

Also, I noticed that the Server has 2 nics (1 onboard and pci). The PCI nic is listed as the Local Server. Does it matter which nic is used? The PCI nic is listed as "Local Server". His setup is as follows. Cable Modem, Linksys standard router, switch, Server.

SBS Re-Install (Repost)

I have a new client who had his Dell SBS 2003 R1 server go down due to a bad hard drive. His Network is comprised of 1 Server, 5 XP Workstations. His previous IT either did not document his system or took it with him when he disappeared. Also there are no backups.

He initially brought me his server to repair, because it wouldn't boot. After verifying that the hard drive was bad, I reinstalled SBS based on info I gathered from the client. By doing this I didn?t account for 2 things.

One was I didn't take into account the 5 workstations already in place as well as the current users for those workstations, things like profiles, applications, printers, etc. When I tried to add the computers to the network (http://ServerName/ConnectComputer) it didn?t work.

I'm trying to add these workstations and users to the new server without the users having issues. My question is, is there a way that I can pull information from the workstations to figure out how to properly the server. DNS, Computer name.. etc. So that they can rejoin the network as though the server never left?

Secondly I built the server at home using a private address in the 192 range. His workstations were of course in a different range (10.36...) I think I made more problems for myself while trying to change the server DCHP and scope range on the server.

Also, I noticed that the Server has 2 nics (1 onboard and pci). The PCI nic is listed as the Local Server. Does it matter which nic is used? The PCI nic is listed as "Local Server". His setup is as follows. Cable Modem, Linksys standard router, switch, Server.

> I have a new client who had his Dell SBS 2003 R1 server go down due to
> a bad hard drive. His Network is comprised of 1 Server, 5 XP
> Workstations. His previous IT either did not document his system or
> took it with him when he disappeared. Also there are no backups.
>
> He initially brought me his server to repair, because it wouldn't
> boot. After verifying that the hard drive was bad, I reinstalled SBS
> based on info I gathered from the client. By doing this I didn?t
> account for 2 things.
>
> One was I didn't take into account the 5 workstations already in place
> as well as the current users for those workstations, things like
> profiles, applications, printers, etc. When I tried to add the
> computers to the network (http://ServerName/ConnectComputer) it didn?t
> work.
>
> I'm trying to add these workstations and users to the new server
> without the users having issues. My question is, is there a way that
> I can pull information from the workstations to figure out how to
> properly the server. DNS, Computer name.. etc. So that they can
> rejoin the network as though the server never left?
>
> Secondly I built the server at home using a private address in the 192
> range. His workstations were of course in a different range
> (10.36...) I think I made more problems for myself while trying to
> change the server DCHP and scope range on the server.
>
> Also, I noticed that the Server has 2 nics (1 onboard and pci). The
> PCI nic is listed as the Local Server. Does it matter which nic is
> used? The PCI nic is listed as "Local Server". His setup is as
> follows. Cable Modem, Linksys standard router, switch, Server.
>
> Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Submitted via EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice
>
> Creating an Object Configuration Section in .Net 2.0
>
> http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials...3-45a2-827d-3f
> be41b5ce79/creating-an-object-config.aspx
>

Re: SBS Re-Install (Repost)

> I'm trying to add these workstations and users to the new server without the users having issues. My question is, is there a way that I can pull information from the workstations to figure out how to properly the server. DNS, Computer name.. etc. So that they can rejoin the network as though the server never left?
>

There is no CLEAN, automated way to do this after having a completely
failed server. You are going to have to save any cached files on the
workstations, then you create new computer accounts on the server, then
join the computers using the wizard...

The IP can be changed using the wizards, don't do it manually.

A single NIC solution is the best way to go if you have a firewall.

I hate to say it, but if you have not done a few SBS installs then you
need to get professional help - during a outage/downtime, it's not time
to guess.

--
You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
Trust yourself.
spam999free@newsgroup (remove 999 for proper email address)

Re: SBS Re-Install (Repost)

Reggie Nolan wrote:

> I have a new client who had his Dell SBS 2003 R1 server go down due to a bad hard drive. His Network is comprised of 1 Server, 5 XP Workstations. His previous IT either did not document his system or took it with him when he disappeared. Also there are no backups.

>
> He initially brought me his server to repair, because it wouldn't boot. After verifying that the hard drive was bad, I reinstalled SBS based on info I gathered from the client. By doing this I didn?t account for 2 things.
>
> One was I didn't take into account the 5 workstations already in place as well as the current users for those workstations, things like profiles, applications, printers, etc. When I tried to add the computers to the network (http://ServerName/ConnectComputer) it didn?t work.
>
> I'm trying to add these workstations and users to the new server without the users having issues. My question is, is there a way that I can pull information from the workstations to figure out how to properly the server. DNS, Computer name.. etc. So that they can rejoin the network as though the server never left?

No. You have been told that can't be done. The old network information,
in particular the security IDs, is gone forever. You *must* remove the
PCs individually from the old domain to workgroup mode, then you can
join them to the new domain. It's not as if there are dozens. I can't
remember if it's actually necessary to remove the computer accounts from
the server, and replace them, but I'd do it as a matter of course.
Always try to minimise any foreseeable trouble...

The move to workgroup should leave the profiles in place, and you should
be offered an option by connectcomputer to import a local profile. If
this doesn't happen, there is a utility for importing a local profile
into the domain afterwards. With XP you might get away with a certain
amount of manual copying, but I'd try to do it Microsoft's way first.

You should be able to retain the computer name at both mode changes, and
you never put any TCP/IP information into an Active Directory client
computer. Leave it to get all TCP/IP configuration automatically,
including DNS.

>
> Secondly I built the server at home using a private address in the 192 range. His workstations were of course in a different range (10.36...) I think I made more problems for myself while trying to change the server DCHP and scope range on the server.

You do that with the Change IP address wizard, which sorts out all of that.

>
> Also, I noticed that the Server has 2 nics (1 onboard and pci). The PCI nic is listed as the Local Server. Does it matter which nic is used? The PCI nic is listed as "Local Server". His setup is as follows. Cable Modem, Linksys standard router, switch, Server.

You can run the CEICW wizard after disabling one of the NICs in the
BIOS, which tells you for sure which NIC is still in use. Or you can
just run the CEICW and tell it there is one NIC, and find which one is
used by experiment.

What you are trying to do is not well documented, as it's exactly what
IT administrators try desperately to avoid. It's enough of a pain when
you do have a backup, and I'm sure your client will now see that a few
safety precautions are indicated.

Possibly you would see replies rather more easily if you use news
reading software to read newsgroups. I'm not aware of any web-based news
gateways which work well. Yours and the Indian one seem particularly flaky.

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